IF YOU...
... have recently (last 2-3 weeks) started a low-carb or ketogenic diet ... and are experiencing any of the following: headaches, body aches, feel run down, exhausted, fuzzy or foggy head (lack of mental clarity), cranky, upset stomach or nausea, sudden urges to eat sweets or carbohydrates:

You are probably experiencing the "low carb blues" where your body is adjusting to a lower carbohydrate intake. Symptoms are generally understood to be caused by an electrolyte imbalance.

Solution 1: Take an electrolyte supplement. See our supplements guide for more info.

Solution 2: Wait it out -- it may take 2 - 3 weeks to fully adjust.

Solution 3: Get out of ketosis by raising your carbs above 100 grams per day; symptoms should disappear quickly.

IF YOU...
... are currently doing any kind of diet/weight loss plan and you're starving or feeling really hungry all the time (biological hunger, not psychological or emotional)

You probably just aren't eating enough. You may simply need to eat more filling foods; most importantly, protein. On any kind of diet, you can always eat more protein and it's not likely to harm your diet. Look at the diet plan and eat more of the allowed protein sources. See this page for info about protein. You can also eat more vegetables with very little chance of it harming your diet.

For more information about filling foods in general, see the Fat-Burning Foods section. Or, if you'd like a list of filling foods or low-caloric density foods, check out this list of foods ranked by satiety or this list of foods ranked a different way.

For additional tips for how to understand and handle hunger, see Hunger Management Tools and Understanding Hunger / Types of Hunger. The Simplicity Weight Loss Plan also has a good discussion about biological vs psychological hunger.

IF YOU...
... were losing weight for some period of time, but now you are NOT losing, or it has slowed to a crawl...and...

Situation 1: You are experiencing any of the following: feeling worn down or achy with little energy for exercise, or exercise performance is bad; or you feel hungry all the time; perhaps with strong carb cravings; maybe you feel cranky or moody ...you are probably experiencing biological adaptation to weight loss (essentially your body is fighting back against fat loss).

Solution 1: You probably need some kind of Metabolic Break (basically, eating more for a short time).

Solution 2: If you are doing a lot of cardio (aerobic) exercise like running, cycling, eliptical, etc, you need to dramatically reduce it or stop completely. Or do only easy to brisk walking for 30 min per day maximum. See Too Much Exercise

Solution 3: You may need to do both of the above.

Situation 2: If you generally feel good...little to no energy problems, little to no hunger, mood is normal...

Solution 1: Are you certain of your calorie intake? (see Under-Estimating Calories and Food Journal). This isn't to say you have to feel miserable to lose weight, but if you aren't experiencing any negative symptoms like hunger and you aren't losing weight, that's an indication you can simply drop calories further. Whether you think you are accurately estimating your calories or not, in this situation, because you're generally feeling just fine, there's absolutely no harm in reducing your calorie intake to see what happens The only time that might not be wise is if you are experiencing negative physical symptoms.

Solution 2: Are you losing inches? If so, then congratulations! You're losing fat (see Fat vs Muscle). Muscle weighs more than fat, so it can disguise fat loss that is occurring.

Solution 3: If you are doing a lot of cardio (aerobic) exercise like running, cycling, eliptical, etc, you need to dramatically reduce it or stop completely. Or do only easy to brisk walking for 30 min per day maximum. See Too Much Exercise

Solution 4: Be patient. Weight loss is a process, not an event. Sometimes your weight can plateau for a week or even several weeks (a month is not unheard of). See Track Your Progress

IF YOU...
... are experiencing a lot of psychological cravings (not real hunger) for food not on your diet plan -- or for Trigger Food:

You may want to try Flex Meals or Occasional Indulgences to ease your cravings. If that doesn't work or makes it worse, you'll just need to stick with it as best you can for several weeks (you may also be an emotional eater; see below). It's important to realize that your cravings will diminish, and your tastes will adapt in a relatively short time (typically around 3 weeks).

It's also quite likely you are an emotional eater to some degree or another. Those cravings can be tough to handle. See Emotional Eating.

IF YOU...
... are eating carbohydrates or starch as part of your diet, and you get hungry quickly after eating, or feel sluggish, get headaches or migraines, or feel fatigued; or if you are also having trouble losing weight:

You are probably insulin resistant (and/or pre-diabetic, diabetic, metabolic syndrome) and you should try a low carb diet strategy. See Carb-Smart Plan or Keto Rocket.

IF YOU...
... have been trying to lose weight but haven't seen any success -- and for the most part you have always felt pretty good. Little or no energy problems, little hunger or normal hunger, mood is normal:

You probably need to lower calorie intake. This isn't to say you have to feel miserable to lose weight, but for troubleshooting purposes, a lack of weight loss while feeling full all the time and/or without "negative" symptoms pretty much narrows it to one option by default: you aren't in a calorie deficit (Energy Balance Principle). In any case, with no negative physical problems you can safely try to lower calorie intake, and/or increase your physical activity in a way that fits with calorie intake. If the scale still doesn't move, you need to question if you have in fact truly lowered calories (see Under-Estimating Calories and Counting and Measuring).

IF YOU...
... are seeing your weight start to creep up again, for example during weight maintenance:

First, consider your overall calorie intake. Are you eating too many Trigger Foods? Consider adding in an Intermittent Fasting day during the week, or adding in another type of tactic into your schedule (see Flexible Dieting. Consider adding in a few more tactics mentioned throughout this site to your daily routines. See Strategies Master List.

Second, consider cutting back on your carbohydrate intake (unless you are already eating a low-carb diet). Eliminate refined carbs, and reduce grain-based carbs. If you have to, try cutting out fruit. See Carb Type Strategy for more ideas.

Never cut back on vegetables. In fact, eat more (see Fiber Power Plan).

Likewise, it's a good idea to keep protein intake high (see Protein).

Use the Fat Burning Foods chart.

Consider doing the Simplicity Weight Loss Plan for awhile.

IF YOU...
... have tried everything above and every tactic and strategy under the sun and the weight just won't come off or weight keeps increasing:

You may want to have check in with your doctor and have your hormones checked. Conditions like low thyroid or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) among other conditions can make weight loss overly difficult.